Sunflower Seed Butter Granola Bars with Chocolate Drizzle

Every once in awhile I cheat on my dearly beloved peanut butter with sunflower seed butter.

I am drawn to it’s uniquely powerful and slightly sweet flavor.

I had an open jar of Trader Joe’s sunflower seed butter and knew that if I didn’t make something with it, my spoon would just find it’s way into the jar, over and over, until it was gone. And I wanted to create something with it rather than just inhale it from the back of a spoon.

I almost made cookies with it but that was feeling a little on the uninspired side, and rather than turning on my oven, I simply turned on my food processor and made these granola bars. They almost taste like cookies but not a drop of butter or a granule of refined sugar was used. Thank you very much, sunflower seed butter.

To make the bars, I add a few handfuls of pitted Medjool dates, whole-rolled oats, sunflower seed butter, agave, cinnamon, and vanilla to the canister of my food processor and blended. About 37 seconds later, I had a big blob of oatey-sunflowery dough that was slapping around the perimeter of the canister like a shoe slaps around in the dryer. Running shoes and puddles don’t mix, thus the dryer.

A well-formed dough ball that bangs around in the food processor is a good sign when making no-bake bars because it indicates the mixture is moist and dense enough to stick together. This translates to bars that will hold their shape when sliced. A mixture that’s too dry and crumbly can’t be formed into bars that will stay together and conversely, a mixture that’s too wet is like trying to turn nut butter soup into nut butter granola bars.

However, I purposely kept the mixture just a smidgeon on the wet side because I planned to stir in a cup of crispy rice cereal by hand, and knew that it would soak up a bit of extra moisture.

After removing the dough ball from the food processor, I placed it in a large mixing bowl, and stirred in the crispy rice cereal, almost stabbing and poking the cereal into the sunflower seed butter-date-oat wad, crushing the cereal a bit with the spoon. As the cereal breaks down, the resulting dust acts as a flour-like binder, and helps to solidify the dough by soaking up some moisture.

The amount of texture the granola bars gain from the modest amount of crispy cereal used, just one cup for the whole batch of bars, is quite astounding. I realized this by way of a happy accident when I happened to toss a few handfuls of cereal into the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars (no-bake) and now I’m hooked on the results. The airy, crunchy, snap-crackle-pop effect adds a prefect crunchy surprise effect in each bite.

No bar is complete without chocolate. Well, not for me. I could have put chocolate chips into the food processor or hand-stirred some chopped chocolate chunks into the doughy batter, but instead melted one-half cup chocolate chips and drizzled the shimmery sauce over the bars. The nice thing about drizzles is that it feels like I get a lot of bang for my buck. Visually, it’s more impressive than blending it into the batter, where it becomes a bit lost. Plus, when chocolate chips are blended in, their flavor doesn’t seem to pop as much compared to being drizzled.

We all eat first with our eyes. And seeing the chocolate drizzled prominently on top allows me maximum savoring quotient with each chomp.

There’s a lot going on with these bars, for something that takes just ten minutes to make and is vegan and gluten-free. There’s the lightly salty yet delicately sweetened sunflower seed butter, the chewy and hearty oats, the crispy cereal bits and pieces that are mixed in, the gooey ‘n chewy Medjool dates, which really are nature’s candy; and it’s all adorned with a melted semi-sweet chocolate drizzle.

Notes of cinnamon and vanilla complement the sunflower seed butter and dates, and I added a touch of agave to both help moisten the mixture when blending it and to lend a subtle sweetness to the finished bars. Brown rice syrup, corn syrup, maple syrup, or honey may be substituted but I prefer the clean sweetness of agave in no-bake bars or little no-bake cookie dough balls, because it allows the other flavors to shine through loud and clear as opposed to say, maple syrup, which would mask certain flavors.

So this granola bar project was better than eating sunflower seed butter straight out of the jar. Well, it at least slowed down the spoon-directly-into-jar situation.

These granola bars are made with one of my favorite nut butters, sunflower seed butter. It has a distinctively bold, yet slightly sweet flavor. By combining sunflower seed butter, agave, and Medjool dates with oats in a food processor, these no-bake granola bars come together in minutes and are finished off with a chocolate drizzle. They're vegan, gluten-free, fast and easy, very chewy and texture-filled. Perfect to toss into a lunch box, gym bag, or purse.

Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil and optionally spray with cooking spray; set aside. To the canister of a food processor or Vita-Mix (I used a food processor) add oats, dates, sunflower seed butter (I used Trader Joe's), agave, cinnamon, vanilla, and process until mixture comes together. Mixture will be dense and should form a big dough ball in the food processor; this is a good sign. The mixture should err on the side of being wet because 1 cup cereal will be stirred in by hand in the next step, absorbing some of the moisture. When squeezed between fingers, the mixture should hold it’s shape, not fall apart, nor be crumbly at all. If it crumbles or falls apart, it’s too dry and needs more moisture or a binding ingredient such as additional agave, sunflower seed butter, or dates to be added in order for it to come together. Conversely, add more oats if mixture seems very sloppy or wet, noting that 1 cup cereal will be stirred in next, absorbing some moisture. This is not an exact science and you may need to play with the ratios of wet and dry ingredients, but the goal is a mixture that can be packed into a pan, and when sliced, will hold it’s shape in bar form; it should be thick, moist, and dense.

Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the crispy rice cereal, slightly crushing it while folding it in with the spoon. Keep folding until all the cereal appears to disappear into the mixture. Firmly press mixture into an even flat layer in prepared pan and smooth it with a spatula; set pan aside.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips on high power, about 1 minute. Stir until chips are melted and smooth, reheating in 10 to 15-second bursts until chocolate can be stirred smooth. Drizzle chocolate over the dough and place pan in the refrigerator to set up for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Bars may be wrapped individually in plasticwrap or stored in an airtight container and kept at room temperature for up to 1 week, or stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month, or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Take care to use brands of ingredients that are certified gluten-free or vegan, if your dietary path necessitates it.

Related Recipes

Cinnamon Oatmeal Date Bars with Chocolate Ganache (no-bake, vegan, GF) – Very similar to the Sunflower Seed Butter Bars but made with peanut butter and the cinnamon is quite pronounced; like eating bowl of cinnamon-raisin oatmeal, in bar form, that’s been drenched in chocolate

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars (No-Bake, Vegan, GF) – My all-around favorite no-bake granola bar recipe for producing bars like storebought chewy granola bars. Use ingredients you have on hand and enjoy, from peanut butter to almond butter to sunflower seed butter; to raisins to white chocolate chips to coconut flakes; to M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces for a more candy-like bar; you can customize them very easily with just about anything that strikes your fancy

Sunflower Seed Butter Balls (no-bake, vegan, GF) – I posted this recipe almost 3 years ago when sunflower seed butter hadn’t caught on quite as much and called them ‘Peanut Butter Balls’, even though I used sunflower seed butter in them. You can use any nut butter you enjoy

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars (No-Bake, Vegan, GF) – These two bars are versions on a theme, with and without coconut oil. They’re customizable with the add-ins used and they also make use of any ripe bananas you have

If you’ve never tried sunflower seed butter, I’m not sure how to accurately describe it – how do you describe what a strawberry tastes like to someone who’s never had one – same conundrum. Ironically, I don’t think sunflower seed butter tastes much like sunflower seeds.

The flavor is distinctive, robust, and bold, much in the way that peanut butter is. When added to something, you know it’s there. And no, sunflower seed butter and peanut butter taste nothing alike; nor does sunflower seed butter taste like almond butter, which I consider much more demure and plain and am generally bored by it.

Sunflower seed butter can be a bit on the runny side, similar to almond butter, and can separate a bit and therefore needs a good stir before using it as to not end up with a clay-like lump at the bottom of the jar. It’s recommended to store it in the refrigerator after opening it, or so they say; sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t.

I buy the Trader Joe’s brand because it’s $3.99 for a jar and I love it. There are other brands, MaraNatha and Sunbutter for example, which are sold at natural food grocery stores, but they’re usually more expensive and since I love the Trader Joe’s version and it’s cheaper and I’m going there anyway, I stick with it.

However, I need to make my own homemade sunflower seed butter. I’ve blended in some sunflower seeds with peanuts when I’ve made Homemade Peanut Butter, but have never made solely sunflower seed butter.

Feel free to link up any favorite recipes using sunflower seed butter.

Thanks for the entries in the two giveaways – winners announced next post

It’s hard for me to say ‘better than’ because I have such a love for PB. But SFSButter has it’s time and place and sometimes I just HAVE to have it. It’s like white choc and semi sweet. Both have their time and place for me :)

Ok Averie, you have me convinced. I must try sunflower seed butter! Always seeing it in the stores, I just always seem to reach for the PB. It really just sounds like a must try now- plus the mixture of any nut butter with dates is just SO good. Oh! I tried the chocolate chip/pb/date snack you suggested in your chocolate pairings party. YUM!
Adding rice krispies to no-bake granola bars is the best move. It’s like the granola bar’s little texture secret – holds it all together and gives it that “clif bar” taste and consistency that I just love. I love the small ingredient list and that free-formed chocolate drizzle on top too – it not only provides a gorgeous decoration (how annoying are brown granola bars to shoot??), but a sweet decadent taste to a completely guiltfree bar. :)

I am shocked you’ve never tried it. You will never go back to AB, I can tell you that. I know you love your PB as much as I do, but SFSButter is just as amazing, but different. I think overall, PB is more versatile, but like Cookie Butter or Nutella, with the right time and place and recipe, SFSButter is just amazing stuff.

Glad you love the rice crispy trick as much as I do. Between texture and binding ability, it’s such a bonus!

Choc drizzle…covers so many bases from taste to food photography issues :)

I like to store mine (SFSbutter) upside down–same with the kind of pb that needs to be mixed–but not in the fridge. Then when you flip it right side up it mixes itself while you’re getting out your spoon…I mean knife to spread it on something because of course I wouldn’t just get a spoon and eat from..the..jar…..and I definitely wouldn’t stand at the counter dipping spoonfuls of nut or seed butter into a bowl of chocolate chips… :)

These are classic Averie, circa 2009! Love the looks and sounds of these. I’ve got some homemade sunflower seed butter in my fridge, but I see nothing wrong with just eating it from a spoon. That’s my plan for it. ;)

I don’t think I’ve ever tried sunflower seed butter but I’ve always wanted to try it. But I sure do love my PB ;-) These bars….I’m marking them and making them for sure. They look fantastic and super simple to throw together. Bonus and bonus!

As I read this post, I was thinking the same thing about making my own sunflower seed butter. I make other nut butters so often, and while I’ve also mixed in some sunflower seeds, I’ve never done a batch of just those. Sunflower seeds are also inexpensive compared to other nuts..so I think I need to give it a try too! I like this variation on a chewy granola bar and now that the weather is cooler, my husband doesn’t have to worry about chocolate melting in his patrol car if he takes them along to work!

Tried the new Red Star Platinum yeast yesterday. Had bought some over the weekend and it’s amazing for wheat bread. Also bought (later in the day) vital wheat gluten. So next wheat loaf will get Platinum AND V.W.G. and I think it will rise up to the heavens :) But on it’s own, was very impressed with Platinum!

Thanks for the links! My husband isn’t a picky eater (such a blessing for me!!) so I know he’ll love any of these! Glad the new yeast worked for you–I want to look for that the next time I buy it. Anxious to know if the VWG makes a difference too!

Wow! Averie, these seriously look like the perfect granola bar! I saw sunflower seed butter on my last trip to T Joe’s and knew I should have picked it up – Argh! Definitely getting some on my next visit.

I have blended sunflower seeds w/ peanuts but never just made it on it’s own. I’ve heard from others that it can get really bitter and pungent tasting and so I know that it can be done but just keep the agave or brown rice syrup handy I’m thinking!

My wife and I were just experimenting with a homemade granola so this recipe jumped off the page right away when I saw it. I really like that there isn’t any baking involved and they look delicious. Beautiful photos!

I’ve been long intrigued by sunflower seed butter, but didn’t know what to expect! Looks like I am going to have to take a bite for myself. The first will be directly off the spoon :-)
I’ve been looking for good granola bar recipes to try. I love how you have so much goodness blended into these. Goodbye processed bars!

Dude. You are the master at ribboning your chocolate drizzles! That alone makes it call out for a bite! :-)

I am with you in that SFSButter definitely has its time and place. Tis great stuff but doesn’t replace peanut butter; just makes its appearance when it should! Great idea to add in the rice cereal! Since texture is everything (in my opinion) when eating a bar, these are definitely getting made in the Sparrow kitchen.!

I was just thinking of doing some healthy “flapjacks” (its the name in sweden)… When I get home to Stockholm this will be something of the first thing on my “to-do-list” Thank you for a very inspirational blog!

Hi Averie! I am so excited to try these granola bars….I am always looking for new and interesting ways to make them! I just recently tried sunflower seed butter and I love it! I am allergic to peanuts and have been a huge fan of Barney Butter (almond butter), but it it pretty pricey! Sunflower seed butter is a bit more affordable. I have used it in no bake cookie bites that had called for PB and they are fantastic! Thanks and I’ll let ya know how I like these (which I am sure will be alot!) when I make them!

SFSButter is way cheaper than BB. You are right about that! Excited that you’re going to make these. LMK how you like them! You can also use AB in them but why ‘waste’ your high end stuff in them when you can use SFSB is my thought :)

Your bars look fabulous! I love your quote “big blob of oatey-sunflowery dough that was slapping around the perimeter of the canister like a shoe slaps” lol!! I haven’t made granola bars in forever! I need to try yours, they sound and look wonderful! I agree, no bar is complete without chocolate!

Averie, did it with almond butter and maple syrop. It blew my mind. Children loved it.
As part of my culinary project I also did this recipe from Bon Appetit, but it’s with unsalted butter spiced up in many ways:-)
If interested, you could find it here:

Thanks for noticing – it’s an old baking sheet. I had to really hunt for it on ebay and wasnt sure what it would be like in person and it’s a hair smaller than I wish, but for tight scenes, I am loving it!

these bars look soooo good. we use sunflower seed butter more for pb&j sandwiches for school since we are too avoid nut products at school…so this does the trick with an old fashion sandwich for lunch :-)

We’re supposed to avoid PB with the school, too. But sometimes that rule seems to really loosen based on if there’s a peanut-allergy child in her class at the moment or not. So I try to send these rather than PB-based ones!

You know what…it just dawned on me that SFSButter has lots of tahini-like qualities. Something about the pungent flavor, really intense and tell-tale. If you like tahini, I think you will LOVE SFSB even more!

Averie, these look just perfect. I’ve seen a lot of homemade granola bars, but none that have this level of consistency and dense texture. And the chocolate drizzle really grabbed my attention :) I’ve tried sunflower seed butter, but now I’m going to look for it so I can give it a taste. I’m featuring this post as part of Food Fetish Friday (with a link-back and attribution) and thanks for making me drool!

I need to make these for school snacks. They love Sunbutter for snacks. (No peanut butter or tree nuts due to allergies in both my elementary school kids’ classes.) They will be so excited to get a “peanut butter” bar again.

Made these today as soon as i saw them. I’ve never seen sunflower seed butter here in germany, so i used up the jar of peanut butter i had and i used honey instead of agave. They. Are. AMAZING! My mom told me to never stop making them, they came out perfect! Thank you so much for the recipe!

Hi Averie!
I am a sunflower seed butter newbie, and all I can say is that I’m hooked! I bought Trader Joe’s and it is so fabulous. I planned on using that jar to make this recipe, but I had to buy some more. :-) I made this recipe today and it tastes so awesome. I’m always trying to cut down on sugar, so I only added 10 dates and 1/2 of the agave. Well, I’m sure you can guess what happened, right, I had to add more. The batter was way too dry. I added 5 more dates and a little more sunflower seed butter. I really don’t like anything too sweet.
The batter was stiffer and held together, but I had to mix the cereal in by hand. I got a workout. :-) These are great. I hope I can pace myself and not eat them all at once. They are better than any bar out there with all of their processed ingredients. Thanks for another great recipe!!!

Glad you’re a fan of SFSB and are putting it to good use in these bars. I love them and also the PB Granola Bars linked in the post are excellent – my fave granola bars ever. Not ‘low in sugar’ per se, but at least you know EXACTLY what’s in them, whereas with storebought, you never really do.